Transforming London’s cycling infrastructure

January 30, 2015

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, this week set out final plans for the construction of new east-west and north-south segregated cycleways in the capital.

London First supports the Mayor’s ambition to improve London’s cycling infrastructure and get more Londoners on their bikes in a safer environment. Better cycling and pedestrian facilities, as well as enhanced public realm, are now integral to what it is to be a 21st Century world city.

We recognise that achieving a step-change in the quality of cycle infrastructure in a dense and crowded city like London will require compromises to be made by other road users. It is vital that the nature of those impacts is well understood and that clear plans are developed to mitigate them. This is a once in a generation opportunity to transform cycling in the capital that we need to get right.

Through the consultation process we, alongside others, raised concerns about a lack of clarity in terms of the impact of these proposals on congestion, particularly as it will affect buses, delivery vehicles, pedestrians, the environment, and the wider London economy.

While we are pleased that Transport for London (TfL) has proposed modifications that will help address some of the particular issues along the route, we will continue to seek transparency about the ease and efficiency with which people and goods will be able to move around London in future.

We will also seek robust assurances that TfL will be flexible in revising the scheme or taking appropriate action to manage the network elsewhere where the knock-on effects are serious.

The revised cycle plans go to the TfL board for sign-off on Wednesday 4 February. Subject to their approval, construction of the routes will begin from March. We will engage with TfL on their plans for managing disruption during construction and ensue these are communicated effectively to London businesses.